122. Yazz & The Plastic Population - The Only Way Is Up (Big Life)

One week at number one on 20th August 1988Originally, I was tempted to tie this together with the last entry (“Superfly Guy”) for the simple reason that it underlines the point I was making about the different approaches to music for the dancefloor. You can either stick doggedly to a groove where the lyrics are a pure afterthought, mere chanted exhortations, or offer a much more coherent, emotional story, guided more by pop song structures (“I Will Survive”). Otis Clay’s original version of “The Only Way Is Up” was always on the latter side of the fence, though wasn’t a huge success when released in 1982. If you haven’t listened to it in a while, go back and do so again – while researching this entry, I found myself unexpectedly moved by the having the experience afresh. I’d forgotten just how understated it was, yet personal. If you’ve ever experienced poverty, however briefly, the idea of having somebody by your side throughout the ordeal takes on a highly romantic edge; a lot of…